Martin Luther King Jr. once said “a right delayed is a right denied.” In the past, African Americans were denied the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” since the beginning of time. Many groups and individual people tried to put an end to the cruel treatment of African Americans. Two historical cases that show how African Americans basic rights were deprived are: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1964) and The Montgomery Bus Boycott.
In the Brown v. Board of Education case, a black third-grader named Linda Brown had to walk a mile out of her way to go to school, when there was a white elementary school only a few blocks away. Her father tried to register her at the white elementary school but of course, the principal wouldn’t allow it. With Linda being denied, her father contacted the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) so they would further help this problem. The final decision of this case was that segregation of public schools denied black children equal protection of the laws, provided by the 14th amendment. Public schools had to integrate with “all deliberate speed.”
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a boycott that was monumental for African Americans civil rights. Rosa Parks, a town seamstress who, after a long day at work, wouldn’t give up her seat to a white person on the bus. According to the law at that time, blacks and whites could not sit in the same row, so the bus driver asked all of the blacks seated in her row to move. The other blacks sitting in that row did, but Rosa didn’t and was then arrested. When people heard about Rosa’s arrest, immediately a protest was in the making, for all blacks to boycott the buses. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “"if we could get 60 percent cooperation the protest would be a success.” More blacks then whites used the bus as everyday transportation. The end result of this boycott led to a United States supreme court decision that declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring them to desegregate the buses.
The federal government, through time, made efforts to help the African Americans achieve “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Creating the: 13th amendment, 14th amendment, 15th amendment, and 24th amendment, all helped to contribute to this. The 13th amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. The 14th amendment entitled all citizens to “equal protections of the laws.” The 15th amendment forbid states to deny citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Lastly, the 24th amendment gave citizens the right to vote without poll taxes interfering. All these amendments had key effects that help lead to equality.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an enormous attribute during the civil rights time period. He started off as a Pastor and ended up being one of the most historic men in time. King organized many protests, boycotts, and marches. He prepared powerful speeches that truly, till this day, have affected people. Martin Luther King Jr. was essentially an idol during this time.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” During time, racism and discrimination was always a problem. Basic rights were not given to the African Americans; they fought for it. With help from many people and groups over eras, it has gotten us to where we are today. Our president is now black. The world has beyond doubt made a gigantic change. Even though racism and discrimination still exist, everyone is equal. “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk, Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run, and Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly.”- Jay Z.
